Assist handle for vehicle

ABSTRACT

An assist handle apparatus for a vehicle having a mounting plate positioned at a handgrip may include a damping mechanism having a hinge pin connected to the handgrip; hinge ends positioned at first and second sides of the mounting plate, wherein a damper seat is formed in a space defined between the hinge ends; a damper that is inserted in the damper seat with the hinge pin passing through the damper and the hinge ends, the damper having first and second damping ends protruding at a first side and a second side of an outer circumference of the damper respectively; and a stopper that is formed on an inner side of a hinge portion of the handgrip, wherein the stopper damps rotation shock in both rotation directions of the handgrip when the stopper selectively contacts with the first damping end or the second damping end according to rotation of the handgrip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No.10-2013-0084392 filed Jul. 17, 2013, the entire contents of which isincorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an assist handle for a vehicle. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to an assist handle for avehicle which reduces noise due to a return shock by decreasing thereturn speed of a handgrip.

2. Description of Related Art

In general, automotive assist handles are mounted on the head lining ina vehicle so that passengers can hold them with hands to keep thebalance of their bodies.

Automotive assist handles are provided with both ends of the handgripsrotatably fastened by hinge pins to both ends of mounting platesfastened to the head lining in a vehicle.

Such an automotive assist handle is elastically supported at an upperportion with the handgrip in contact with the head lining in the normalstate, and when a passenger holds the handgrip, the handgrip pivots downat a predetermined angle and keeps held by the passenger at the fixedposition.

The automotive assist handles of the related art are provided with adamping structure to suppress shock noise and control the return speedof the handgrips, when the handgrips are operated and returned.

However, damping structures of the related art deform due to a physicallimit (abrasion resistance and heat resistance) because dampers made ofrubber are used, such that they cannot suppress shock noise due tooperation and return of handgrips.

Further, since there is no factor that controls the return speed ofhandgrips, emotional quality reduces.

Further, oil dampers are used to solve the problems, but the oil dampersare expensive than the rubber dampers and the commercial quality is low.

The above information disclosed in this Background of the Inventionsection is only for enhancement of understanding of the generalbackground of the invention and should not be taken as anacknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information formsthe prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing anassist handle for a vehicle having advantages of reducing shock noise bycontrolling the return speed of the handgrip, using a friction forcebetween a damper inserted in one mounting plate and a hinge pinsrotating with the handgrip. An assist handle for a vehicle may have asecondary damping function by reducing shock due to operation and returnof the handgrip, using a stopper formed at the damping end of the damperand inside the handgrip.

In an aspect of the present invention, an assist handle apparatus for avehicle in which first and second ends of a handgrip are hingedlymounted on a head lining through first and second mounting plates, thefirst mounting plate positioned at a first side of the handgrip andincluding a return spring to provide a return force to the handgrip, andthe second mounting plate positioned at a second side of the handgripand including a damping mechanism to absorb a return shock force,wherein the damping mechanism may include a hinge pin connected to thehandgrip, hinge ends positioned at first and second sides of the secondmounting plate, wherein a damper seat is formed in a space definedbetween the hinge ends, a damper that is inserted in the damper seatwith the hinge pin passing through the damper and the hinge ends, thedamper having first and second damping ends protruding at a first sideand a second side of an outer circumference of the damper respectively,and a stopper that is formed on an inner side of a hinge portion of thehandgrip, wherein the stopper damps rotation shock in both rotationdirections of the handgrip when the stopper selectively contacts withthe first damping end or the second damping end according to rotation ofthe handgrip.

In the damper, the first and second damping ends are supported betweenboth first and second inner sides of the damper seat.

The damper is made of rubber and may have a pin hole into which thehinge pin is forcibly fitted.

A return rotation speed of the hinge pin is reduced by a frictionbetween the damper and the hinge pin integrally rotating with thehandgrip.

The stopper may have both first and second sides formed in a rotationaldirection of the handgrip and damps rotation shock in both rotationdirections of the handgrip by coming in contact with the correspondingfirst damping end or second damping end.

The stopper may have both first and second sides formed in a rotationaldirection of the handgrip and the first and second sides are formed atdifferent angles to damp rotation shock in both rotation directions ofthe handgrip by coming in full contact with the first damping end or thesecond damping end.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce shock noiseby controlling the return speed of the handgrip, using a friction forcebetween a damper inserted in one mounting plate and a hinge pintsrotating with the handgrip.

Further, the operation and return shock of the handgrip is reduced bythe damping ends of the damper and the stopper on the inner side of thehandgrip, such that secondary damping is performed and emotional qualityfor a user is improved. In addition, since the damper made of rubber isused, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the commercial value canbe improved.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other featuresand advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in moredetail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, andthe following Detailed Description, which together serve to explaincertain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a projective perspective view showing an assist handle for avehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge portion A of FIG. 1according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a partial perspective views showing a handgrip thatis used for the assist handle for the vehicle according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views illustrating an operation of the assist handlefor the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarilyto scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of variousfeatures illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. Thespecific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein,including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations,and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intendedapplication and use environment.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent partsof the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of thepresent invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) willbe described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will beunderstood that the present description is not intended to limit theinvention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, theinvention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplaryembodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalentsand other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scopeof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings so that thoseskilled in the Field of the Invention to which the present inventionpertains may carry out the exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a projective perspective view showing an assist handle for avehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an assist handle 100 for a vehicle may be mountedon a head lining such that both first and second ends of the handgrip130 operate like hinges by mounting plates 111 and 113.

In the mounting plates 111 and 113 positioned at first and second sidesrespectively of the handgrip 100, the mounting plate 111 at the firstside may include a return spring to provide a return force to thehandgrip 130.

The mounting plate 113 at the second side of the handgrip 130 mayinclude a damping mechanism 131 (shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B), whichreduces noise due to operation and return shock and improves emotionalquality of the handgrip 130 by decreasing the return speed of thehandgrip 130.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge portion A of FIG. 1and FIGS. 3A and 3B are partial perspective views showing a handgripthat is used for an assist handle for the vehicle according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B, the damping mechanism 131 may include adamper seat 117, a damper 140, and a stopper 133.

The damper seat 117 may be a space defined between hinge ends 115, whichare formed at both first and second sides of the mounting plate 113 andwhere a hinge pin 120 may be inserted.

The damper 140 may be fitted in the damper seat 117 and the hinge pin120 integrally rotating with the handgrip 130 passes through the damper.

The damper 140 may have damping ends 141 formed at a first side and asecond side of an outer circumference of the damper 140, respectively.

The damping ends 141 of the damper 140 may be supported at both firstand second inner sides of the damper seat 117.

In an aspect of the present invention, the damper 140 may be made ofrubber and have a pin hole 143 at the center corresponding to therotational center of the hinge pin 120 and the hinge pin 120 may beforcibly fitted in the pin hole 143, such that the rotation speed of thehinge pin 120 integrally rotating with the handgrip 130 reduces.

That is, the rotation speed of the hinge pin 120 is reduced because theelastic return force of the damper 140 acts as a friction force againstthe hinge pin 120 inserted in the pin hole 143.

The stopper 133 may be formed in a rotation direction in the hingeportion A of the handgrip 130 such that both first and second sides ofthe stopper 133 act on the damping ends 141 to damp rotation shock inrotation directions.

Both the first and second sides of the stopper 133 may be formed atdifferent angles to damp shock in full contact with the damping ends141.

The operation and action of the assist handle 100 for a vehicleaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention isdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views illustrating an operation of the assist handlefor the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in the assist handle 100 for a vehicle, asa passenger rotates the handgrip 130 to operate it, the first side ofthe stopper 133 may come in full contact with the damping end 141 at thefirst side of the outer surface of the damper 140, such that shock dueto the operation of the handgrip 130 is attenuated, thereby preventingnoise.

The damper 140 does not rotate with the hinge pin 120 because thedamping ends 141 may be supported on the first and second sides innersides of the damper seat 117.

When the passenger takes a hand off the hand grip 130, the hand grip 130is returned by the return spring of the mounting plate 111.

The return speed of the handgrip 130 is reduced by the friction forcebetween the hinge pin 120 rotating with the handgrip 130 and the damper140, and the second side of the stopper 133 comes in full contact withthe damping end 141 at the second side of the outer circumference of thedamper 140, such that shock due to the return of the handgrip 130 isattenuated, thereby preventing noise.

Accordingly, when the assist handle 100 for a vehicle is used, thereturn speed of the handgrip 130 may be controlled by the friction forcebetween the damper 140 in the mounting plate 113 and the hinge pin 120rotating with the handgrip 130, such that shock noise can be reduced.

Further, the operation and return shock of the handgrip 130 may bereduced by the damping ends 141 of the damper 140 and the stopper 133 onthe inner side of the hinge portion A of the handgrip 130, such thatsecondary damping is performed and emotional quality for a user isimproved. In addition, since the damper 140 made of rubber is used, themanufacturing cost can be reduced and the commercial value can beimproved.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appendedclaims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner” and “outer” are used todescribe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to thepositions of such features as displayed in the figures.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in orderto explain certain principles of the invention and their practicalapplication, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make andutilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as wellas various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended thatthe scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto andtheir equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An assist handle apparatus for a vehicle in whichfirst and second ends of a handgrip are hingedly mounted on a headlining through first and second mounting plates, the first mountingplate positioned at a first side of the handgrip and including a returnspring to provide a return force to the handgrip, and the secondmounting plate positioned at a second side of the handgrip and includinga damping mechanism to absorb a return shock force, wherein the dampingmechanism includes: a hinge pin connected to the handgrip; hinge endspositioned at first and second sides of the second mounting plate,wherein a damper seat is formed in a space defined between the hingeends; a damper that is inserted in the damper seat with the hinge pinpassing through the damper and the hinge ends, the damper having firstand second damping ends protruding at a first side and a second side ofan outer circumference of the damper respectively; and a stopper that isformed on an inner side of a hinge portion of the handgrip, wherein thestopper damps rotation shock in both rotation directions of the handgripwhen the stopper selectively contacts with the first damping end or thesecond damping end according to rotation of the handgrip.
 2. The assisthandle apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the damper, the first andsecond damping ends are supported between both first and second innersides of the damper seat.
 3. The assist handle apparatus of claim 1,wherein the damper is made of rubber and has a pin hole into which thehinge pin is forcibly fitted.
 4. The assist handle apparatus of claim 3,wherein a return rotation speed of the hinge pin is reduced by afriction between the damper and the hinge pin integrally rotating withthe handgrip.
 5. The assist handle apparatus of claim 1, wherein thestopper has both first and second sides formed in a rotational directionof the handgrip and damps rotation shock in both rotation directions ofthe handgrip by coming in contact with the corresponding first dampingend or second damping end.
 6. The assist handle apparatus of claim 1,wherein the stopper has both first and second sides formed in arotational direction of the handgrip and the first and second sides areformed at different angles to damp rotation shock in both rotationdirections of the handgrip by coming in full contact with the firstdamping end or the second damping end.